Piano Keys and Guitar Strums
by MusicIsTheHeartAndSoul
Summary: He is always there for her, yet she is reluctant to open up. So many pros, yet so many cons. The chemistry between Callie and Brandon is undeniable. Whether or not to act upon it is the question. (Sorry my summary doesn't make sense, its kind of vague.)*I know it appears the story is very long, by the number of chapters, but my chapters are REALLY short. So please read & Review!*
1. Chapter 1

As I crouched low on the curb behind the dumpster, I couldn't help but to regret not listening to what Brandon had told me. Wyatt _was_ trouble.

As I sat with a million thoughts swirling of the consequences and what was to come, Wyatt joked around as if he didn't just do something completely and utterly illegal. I immediately felt relief as soon as I saw the familiar sight of Brandon's car turn the corner. I slumped into the front seat, as Wyatt sat in the back.

"Thanks for coming." I said to Brandon. "Sure," he said with ever so slight of a smile. The ride back to Wyatt's house, his _real _house that is, was eerily silent, and the tension between he and Brandon could obviously be felt.

Brandon stopped the car hastily in front of the much smaller, run-down looking house not too far from the Foster residence. "Thanks for bailing us out, bro." Wyatt said to Brandon. "I'm not your bro," Brandon shot back.

After Wyatt left the car and we began to drive away, I joked, attempting to lighten the mood. "What up with the attitude?" Brandon sighed and rolled his eyes. "Do you really need to even ask that question? You know I have never liked the guy. After this little 'incident' I think I have all the more reason not to."

In a way, I didn't really mind that Brandon didn't like Wyatt. In all honesty, I didn't like him all that much either. I went on the date with Wyatt because I felt we were relatable, I thought we were of similar walks of life, with similar stories, and similar problems. He proved to me that he was not the good guy he claimed to be. His smiles and friendly gestures were just a façade that masked his rather bad intentions.

"In all seriousness, though, thank you, Brandon. If you hadn't come, I could've been sent back to Juvy…" "Anytime, Callie." He interrupted. "I couldn't just leave you like that, even if I don't like Wyatt."

We pulled up into the driveway and Brandon paused before getting out of the car. "Contrary to what you may think, I really do care." We ascended the porch but Brandon stopped me before I could open the door to the house. He asked me in a soft, almost sad voice, "are you to just forgive Wyatt?" "I don't know, Brandon," I replied with a sigh. "Plus, you need to stop worrying so much. You aren't my dad…or my brother." He took a step towards me and looked straight into my eyes.

"Callie, I don't want you dating Wyatt, because I don't want you dating anyone."


	2. Chapter 2

sorry this chapter is really short... it's late and I just needed to get the beginning of the story done. Read and Review, please! :)

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I paused, not knowing what to say. I _liked_ Brandon, don't get me wrong. Yet I didn't know if I liked him quite enough to risk my own safety.

Scratch that—I didn't even care about my _own_ safety. It was Jude I was concerned for. I sighed and opened my mouth to speak. "Brandon, even having this conversation can get Jude and I kicked out of the house."

"Callie you know that would never happen—" "Do I? Do I really, Brandon? Don't think I didn't hear you and Stef talking the other night. I know the rules. Foster siblings can't date. Comprendo?"

"I don't even care about the rules anymore." He said.

I interrupted him. "And besides, even if there was no set rule about it, I would have to make one. Because…" "Because of what, Callie?" Brandon asked, concerned and puzzled. "Because of him; of it…" I trailed off, the story of Liam being too touchy of a subject to bring up.

"Whoever you are talking about, I'm not like him, I care." "I can't do this, Brandon. Not right now. I'm tired, goodnight." I went inside and up the stairs, tears threatening to spill out of my eyes. I stopped. "Oh, and Brandon?" He looked up. "Thanks again for saving me."

Brandon smiled weakly and retreated into his own bedroom, leaving me to return to mine.


	3. Chapter 3

Another short chapter! :( I guess I have discovered my writing style is a lot of short chapters rather than just a few long ones... oops! Well, Read and Review! :)

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As I lied in my bed, not being able to sleep a wink, I couldn't help but keep replaying the night's events.

_Brandon_ looked jealous when I left for my date with Wyatt. _Brandon_ came to save me when said date went wrong. _Brandon_ stopped me on the porch to tell me how much he cares. _Brandon _this, _Brandon_ that.

Why couldn't I stop thinking about Brandon? _Because you want him, Callie._ I thought to myself, a subconscious thought that never should have been thought.

Having a crush on Brandon whilst knowing he also had a crush on me was _dangerous._ And yet, here I was, thinking about him, not even remembering why I went out with Wyatt in the first place—_to avoid Brandon._ Ever since the first day I came to this house, the chemistry between Brandon and I was undeniable. Whether or not to act on it? I took a _no_ to keep it safe.

Between the no-foster-siblings-can-date rule, and with Wyatt and Talia in the way, it was not even a possibility. Now, Talia is out of the picture, but the other rules still apply. And yet, I can't help but notice his lingering gaze on me as I walk by, his subtle flirtatious comments, and his ever so slight half smile. I remember the time when he gave me his guitar, when he gave me lessons, and the way he looked at me before Mariana's Quincenera. I _really liked _ Brandon, but I couldn't let him know that.


	4. Chapter 4

This chapter is a _little _bit longer than the previous ones. Read and Review! :)

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The next few days, whenever I could, I avoided Brandon at all costs.

I dodged his glances in the hallway, I purposely sat as far away from him as possible at home. It hurt, it really did; I didn't want to avoid Brandon, I was only doing it for the well-being of Jude and I.

It was made ten times more difficult by the fact that Brandon was trying to do the complete opposite. He would try to talk to me at any chance he got, and I would make some lame excuse as to why I was busy.

Although I didn't want to, over these days, I also grew increasingly closer to Wyatt, and I hated myself for that. All I wanted was to end all relations with Wyatt, but breaking up with Wyatt meant giving Brandon more of a chance to take his shot. Wyatt was bad news, and I knew that. After breaking into someone's house, he laughed it off, saying he was just "trying to impress me."

I shrugged it off, acting as if we could still be a normal couple, if everything was ok, which it _wasn't_. I wanted so badly to get away from him, but I _couldn't._

As soon as I saw Brandon come down the hall towards me, I grabbed Wyatt and half-heartedly kissed him. I'm sure even just one of Brandon's gazes could give me more butterflies than ten of Wyatt's kisses, but I had to show Brandon that I was _taken._ Well, sort of.

Brandon shot a disgusted look at Wyatt then rounded the corner to go to his next class.

_Jealous Brandon was so hot,_ I thought to myself.

I faintly heard Wyatt talking about something he had to do after school but I wasn't really listening. I was thinking about _him_… "Callie!" Wyatt waved his arms in front of my face, somewhat angrily. "Callie, were you even listening to me?" "Yeah, yeah I was…" I trailed off, "I just got a little distracted, sorry, continue on."

As soon as he opened his mouth to speak, the bell rang, signaling us to go to our next class. Mine happened to be writing, a class I shared with _two_ people I didn't particularly want to see: _Wyatt _and _Talia._


	5. Chapter 5

Capitulo cinco! (Chapter 5, lol, speaking in spanish is fun...) Talia (Talya? Taliya?) is such a bitch. Read and Review! :)

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Wyatt and I entered the classroom and parted to go to our separate seats. It was less than ten seconds after I sat down that Talia waltzed over and plopped down right next to me. _0h joy._

Suddenly, she dropped her cheery expression and fake smile and leaned over to whisper in my ear. "I know about you and Brandon." What about Brandon and me? There was no 'me and Brandon.'

"Okay, so?" I said back, not really caring what Talia had to say. "I know you want him. Back. _Off._" She said increasingly more angrily.

"Look, Talia, even if I liked Brandon, which I don't—" _lies._ "What's it to you? You guys aren't dating anymore. I believe it is _you_ who should be backing off." "Save it, Callie. We all know Brandon broke up with me because of _you,_ god only knows what he sees in you…And if, oh I mean, _when_ Brandon finds out about _Liam_ I'm sure he will come crawling back to _me."_

"You wouldn't." I snarled back. "Oh, but I would." She smirked at her evil plan. "I'm sure I can get Brandon off your back for you. Later, Callie."

She walked away, the fake smile plastered back onto her face. _That bitch._ She had the nerve to think Brandon would want her back? Her knowing about Liam was the whole reason Brandon broke up with her in the first place! _Dumbass._

I rolled my eyes and opened my journal. "Today's assignment, class, is to write about something you want, but you can't have." I heard my teacher say. "Anything. It will remain private so feel free to write about whatever you like. I uncapped my pen, and tapped it on the paper, thinking. Without the least bit of hesitation, I wrote a simple two words across the top of the page. _Brandon Foster._


	6. Chapter 6

Wyatt came over to me after class had ended. "Hey, Callie. What did you write about?" "Uh, it's kind of private." I nervously rambled back a little too quickly.

"Oh come on, you can't even tell your _boyfriend_ what you wrote about?" I shuddered at the use of the word 'boyfriend.' Honestly, I didn't know what we were.

"What, do you not trust me now?" He questioned a little angrily. Truly, I _didn't_ trust him. Besides, even if I did, why would I want my 'boyfriend' to read about some other guy that I liked? "It's not that, Wyatt. It's just private." "whatever." He rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, what I was trying to tell you when you were spacing out before class is that my house is being foreclosed." I wasn't surprised. "And I'm having a party before we move out." Who has a foreclosure party?

"You should stop by, Callie. It will be fun." I wasn't really one for house parties, but I reluctantly agreed. While walking through the hall with Wyatt, I noticed Brandon staring at me, and apparently I wasn't the only one who picked up on it.

"I don't like that Foster kid." He said to me. Brandon came up from behind Wyatt and tapped him on the shoulder. "The feeling is mutual." The tension between them was getting too intense so I made the excuse that I 'had to use the bathroom' and walked away. In reality, I just went around the corner and to eavesdrop from a distance they could not see me from.

"Back off of my girl, Foster." I heard Wyatt say to Brandon. "And why exactly should I do that?" Brandon spat back. "You are nothing but trouble, and she's going to get hurt."

"Not my problem, dude." Wyatt said. "Callie knew I was trouble from the get-go. It was her choice to interact with me." "You're a dick, you know that?" Brandon said to Wyatt.

"I know." Wyatt responded nonchalantly and shoved Brandon up against the lockers forcefully. "Now stay away from Callie." Brandon gave Wyatt one last angry look and walked away.

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Ooooh, fight between Wyatt and Brandon! DRAMA! Review! :)


	7. Chapter 7

I was not looking forward to the party at Wyatt's house, especially because of what had happened between Wyatt and Brandon earlier on. However, neither Wyatt nor Brandon should know that I heard everything, so I had to pretend that nothing was wrong.

_Everything was wrong._ I was with the wrong guy, and the guy who I really wanted was standing up for me.

_My life is so complicated,_ I thought.

"Where are you going, Callie?" I heard Brandon ask me as I was leaving the house. "Wyatt's" I responded a little too cheerfully. _Anyone would know that I was faking it._ "Be careful, I mean it." Brandon said softly.

He looked so broken. I wished that I could just run up to him and hug him and kiss him and apologize and thank him and just _spend time _with him, but I knew deep down that I couldn't.

I pushed open the door and got into Wyatt's car. "Hey babe." He said and attempted to kiss me. I turned my head so he got my cheek instead. "What's wrong?" He asked. "Nothing" _lies_. "I'm just not feeling that great, that's all." "Oh."

We pulled up to his house, and it looked like a place that people definitely would _not_ want to be. We stepped inside and the overwhelming smell of alcohol hit my nose. The lights were low, and the house was full of people that I would not want to be associated with. "I'm going to go get us some drinks." Wyatt said, leaving me feeling alone and unsafe.

I walked around looking for a place where I could alone, when I couldn't help but feel I was being followed. I turned around and there _he _was. The one person I thought, I hoped, I wished, I prayed I would _never_ see again."What are you doing here, _Liam?"_ I snarled at him. "Oh Wyatt and I go way back." He replied with a creepy smile on his face. "Why do you think he asked you out? I wanted him to keep an eye on you. It's so nice to see you again, Callie." "Get away from me!" I shouted.

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Liam and Wyatt know each other, SAY WHAT? Haha. Review! :)


	8. Chapter 8

This chapter is kind of intense... Read and Review! :)

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"You don't mean that." Liam stepped closer. "You know you want me." I was scared. No, I was _more_ than scared. I was _terrified._

I saw Wyatt approach us and reach up to high-five Liam. "Great to see you, man." He said. "Same." Liam replied. "Thanks for making sure you got Callie here." "Of course." Wyatt laughed. "Glad to know I could be of assistance."

"YOU!" I shouted and pointed at Wyatt. At this point, tears were flowing freely down my face. "I trusted you." _Sort of._ "I should have never associated with you." "You're right, you shouldn't have." Wyatt said and smiled. "But it's too late now, girl."

Both Wyatt and Liam were getting closer, and my time was running out. Quickly, catching them off guard, I ducked between them and sprinted to the nearest closet. Crouching in the corner, I locked the door and pulled out the cell phone Lena had given me a few days earlier. Fumbling the keys, I dialed the number of the one person I knew would pick up.

Brandon's POV:

I sat by my keyboard, practicing my music, trying my hardest to get my mind of Callie. When I saw her leave the house with Wyatt, I wasn't just jealous. I was scared for her. When I heard my phone ring, I thought back to the last date Callie had with Wyatt and felt a sense of déjà vu. I quickly answered.

"Hello?" "Brandon! It's Callie." I heard from the other side of the line. "Callie. What's up—" "Come get me. Please." She interrupted me. It sounded like she was crying. Hearing Callie cry made me want to cry.

"What happened?" "No time for that now. Come get me. Please help me. I need help, I need _you_." "I'm on my way, Callie." I said and ran down the stairs.

I got into my car as fast as I could and started to drive, my phone balanced in the crook of my shoulder. "Don't hang up, Callie, where are you?" "I'm still at Wyatt's," she responded, choking back sobs. "Where at Wyatt's?" "In a closet on the second floor."

"I'll come find you…" "Don't." She responded. "It's too dangerous. I'll find a way out and meet you outside." "Ok." I heard the click of the phone hanging up.

"I love you." I whispered back, knowing she couldn't hear me.


	9. Chapter 9

I opened the door of the closet just a crack and peeked out. There were people everywhere.

I spotted the staircase, and the foyer that led to the front door. That foyer was the gateway to the door of freedom. All I needed to do was make sure I wasn't spotted by Wyatt or Liam. Sounds simple, right? Well it just so happened that they were both standing right by the front door.

I locked myself back in the closet and took my phone back out. I dialed Brandon's number again. "Hey, Callie." He answered.

"Brandon! Are you here?" "Yeah, I'm out in the driveway. Can you get out?" "Not exactly. Can you go to the front door and try to distract Wyatt while I sneak out the back?" "Sure." I saw Brandon approach the front door and ring the doorbell. I opened the closet door once more, and _ran._

Brandon's POV:

I wasn't quite sure how easy it would be to distract Wyatt, but I was willing to give it a shot, _for Callie._ Tentatively, I rang the doorbell. Wyatt opened the door, with a guy who I didn't recognize by his side.

"What are you doing here, Foster?" He asked angrily. "Uh, I just came here to, eh, apologize." I lied. I spotted Callie up the stairs and signaled to her that it was safe for her to run. "I wanted to apologize, for before. You're right, I should stay away from Callie…" _more lies._

"Damn straight you should." The other guy who was with Wyatt said. "Back away from her." As soon as I saw Callie slip out the back door, I turned to leave. "Uh, sorry, again, Wyatt. It won't happen again." "Whatever, Foster."

I climbed into the front seat of my car and saw Callie already seated on the passenger's side, crying hysterically. I took her hand.

"Shhhh… Callie, its ok now." "I just thought I'd never see him again." "Who?" Callie took a deep breath and began to speak again. "You know the boy from my last foster home I told you about? The one who I got involved with? The one who _lied_ about me?" I nodded sympathetically. "His name…is Liam." I gasped. "And he was there, tonight, at Wyatt's."

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Review! :) and feel free to PM me or find me on twitter at SingLoveWrite98


	10. Chapter 10

The rest of the car ride home was silent. The silence was not uncomfortable, though, with Brandon. When we approached the house, I finally spoke.

"Thanks for saving me… again." "Anytime, Callie. Although, I would assume, you won't need saving anymore, correct?" "Absolutely. I'm done with Wyatt. For good."

Brandon went to open the front door but I stopped him with a bone-crushing hug. "I don't know what I would've done without you, Brandon. He eagerly reciprocated the hug and I couldn't help but feel sparks between us. Standing there, on the front porch, in Brandon's arms, made me feel safe; feel _loved._ Although it was merely a hug, it felt like more than just a sibling type of action.

After what seemed like hours, we finally went inside and I went up the stairs. "How was the party?" I heard Mariana call after me.

"She had a bit… of a rough night." I heard Brandon say. "I'm sure she doesn't want to talk about it right now."

That was one thing I loved about Brandon. He always respected people's privacy. He, unlike Wyatt, never tried to force information out of me. I flashed back to Mariana's Quincenera, when Brandon pulled me off to the side. "I already know everything I need to know about you."

Just thinking about it gave me butterflies—the _good _kind. At some point, I remembered Brandon coming upstairs and whispering goodnight to me, but I was half-asleep. Eventually, I slipped out of consciousness and drifted to sleep.

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The relationship between Callie and Brandon is getting there... no but seriously Brallie needs to happen on the show already I can't deal anymore. Review! :)


	11. Chapter 11

Somewhat of a long(er) chapter! Hooray! Read and Review :)

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I woke up late the next morning, a Saturday. Lazily, I got out of bed, and thought about just going straight downstairs, but I decided to grab my guitar first.

I sat in the backyard with the guitar, struggling to remember the chords Brandon was trying to teach me. I finally got it, or so I thought, and started a random strumming pattern. I heard the window being opened upstairs and the sound of piano keys drifted outside.

It took me a few moments to notice—Brandon was playing _with _me. The click of the keys fell perfectly in time with the movement of my fingers on the frets. Just as I was getting into our little 'jam,' it stopped. I no longer heard the piano from upstairs. I shrugged it off and continued playing.

I was so lost in the music that I didn't even notice Brandon come up behind me until he reached his arms around me and moved the fingers of my left hand over to the next fret. "I noticed you were playing the C chord wrong when I heard you from upstairs, and I needed to fix it before it drove me crazy." He said and laughed.

"You could've just shouted the correct placement down to me, you know." "Yeah, but I much prefer this, don't you think?" He whispered in my ear. _And the butterflies were back._ He moved so that he was facing me instead of behind me. He dropped the flirtatious smile and changed his expression to one more serious.

"Not to push any buttons, Callie." He paused. "But do you happen to know who the guy standing with Wyatt at the door was last night? He didn't seem too happy about me interacting with you, either."

I froze. Suddenly, I was crying again. "Callie, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to…" Brandon seemed upset that he had brought up a touchy subject. "It's okay, you didn't know." I took a deep breath. "That guy was Liam. I told you he was at the party last night, but I never told you what he did." Brandon nodded, listening attentively.

"I got to the party, and he saw me. He got really close to me," I stopped. "I was scared, Brandon." "I can only imagine." He said, and wrapped his arms around me again. I stayed there in his embrace as I told him the rest of the story. "He tried telling me it was 'nice to see me again' and things like that. In reality, it definitely wasn't. Then, I found out, Wyatt and Liam knew each other. Mine and Wyatt's relationship was a setup. All done by Liam."

"Oh my god." Brandon responded. "I'm so sorry." "Stop apologizing." I told him "You didn't do anything wrong. You had no way of knowing." "I know, but somehow, I still feel guilty…" I interrupted him. "Don't. besides, it's all over now. Can I just get back to guitar playing now?"

"Of course. I'll leave you be." He went inside and I once again placed my fingers in a simple position involving the top 3 frets and strummed the bottom 5 strings: aperfect C chord_._

_I'll keep in mind to thank Brandon later._

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Brallie moment :) awwwww.


	12. Author's Note (story NOT over!)

*Note* This is not a new chapter, sorry! :(

Eleven chapters over the course of two days? HOLY MOLY. I wrote this note to tell you that I won't be updating for a few days, I'll be upstate on

a road trip and won't have internet. Don't stop reading! The story is nowhere near over! Thank you to all who have taken the time to read my

story and I'll update again as soon as I can. :) Please read, review, favorite, follow, find me on twitter, PM, whatever! (or do nothing…) lol. Happy

Reading! See you soon! :)


	13. Chapter 12

I'm BACK! This chapter is extremely short and random, I had NO inspiration after tonight's episode with ABSOLUTELY NO BRALLIE. Who else was pissed? I hate Wyatt. Lol. Read and Review! Hopefully next week's episode will be better, and my chapters will get better. (and longer.) -_-

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A while after I finished playing, I went inside. As I passed through the living room to get to the stairs, I noticed Brandon sitting on the couch with a sort of confused expression on his face.

"Callie?" he asked as I walked by. "Yeah?" I called back. "Come here." I walked over to him and looked at the screen of his phone to see what he had to show me. It was a text.

**_'Hey babe we just had a misunderstanding I'd love to get back together. I'm sure Callie is okay with it. She is so not into you anyway. Xoxo- Talia' _**"Do you have any idea what this is about?" Brandon questioned me, a frown on his face.

"I saw Talia at the party. I completely forgot to mention it once the whole Liam fiasco took place." "And? Did you…_talk_ to her?" "Briefly. She was really drunk. Drunk to the point that she was being _nice_ to me."

Brandon laughed. "She is probably extremely hung over right now." I saw Brandon look back at his phone again. "But what is the _text_ about? Did you two discuss… _you and me?_"

I took a deep breath. "Brandon, there is no _us._ Talia was being nice to me because, apparently, she doesn't see me as a _threat_ anymore. You two can get back to your _perfect_ relationship." I struggled to hold in tears.

"Callie." Brandon said to me. "I don't _want _Talia. I want _you._" At that moment I wanted nothing more than to lean in and kiss the hell out of him. But I couldn't. Not yet, at least. So instead, I ran. I ran upstairs, locked myself in my room, and curled up in a ball on my bed; all while leaving Brandon hurt and confused, _yet again._ I was a bitch.

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Who else is on Team I hate both Talia and Wyatt with a burning passion? Just me? oh...


	14. Chapter 13

I hated this. I hated having to hide my feelings for Brandon. I hated pretending to like Wyatt. I hated lying to Brandon time after time. I hated the fact that I couldn't be with him. And most of all, I hated myself for doing this. To both me, and him.

I stared at the guitar in the corner. The guitar that gave me hope. When I was playing my guitar, I could be with Brandon. To most people, it was just music. To me…to _both of us,_ it was much, much _more._ It was when we were playing music when I felt the connection that made everything feel _right._ It was when we were talking, when I realized that it was _wrong._

Once I felt that I was done moping, I got up to leave the room. I needed to apologize to Brandon for my sudden dash away. I walked across the hallway to his bedroom and gently knocked on the door. No response.

"Brandon?" Still, nothing. "B, I'm sorry." Silence. I knocked again. _Was he giving me the cold shoulder?_ I reached for the doorknob, expecting it to be locked. It _wasn't._ I twisted the knob and pushed open the door, to find that Brandon _wasn't there._

Brandon's POV:

After that text, I knew I needed to speak to Talia. Why would she think I would just get back together with her? What she did to Callie, apology or not, was _unacceptable._

Once Callie disappeared upstairs, I got in my car and drove off, _to Talia's house._ I pounded on the front door. "Talia! Come to the door right now!" I shouted. She bounded down the stairs and flung the door open.

"Brandon!" she slurred and stumbled over her own feet to get over to me. She threw her arms around my neck. "Hey _babe._" She whispered.

"Don't _babe _me!" I yelled back and yanked her arms away from my neck. "You know we are over. For _good."_ I pulled out my phone and opened the text conversation. "Care to tell me what_ this_ is about?"

"What?" She asked innocently. "Callie is _clearly_ uninterested. Can't you give _me _another try?" "Are you kidding me?" I scoffed. "You are unbelievable." I turned to go back to my car. "Oh, and Talia?" "Yeah?" she called back, still giggling. "Get some sleep. You're drunk."

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Kind of a long chapter yeahhhh! :) Brandon had to put Talia in her place. The bitch needed it. Review! :)


	15. Chapter 14

Last chapter for the night I swear! Lol after writing one chapter tonight, I just couldn't stop... so it turned into two, then _three..._ anyway, Read and Review! :)

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I heard the front door slam shut. "Unbelievable." Brandon muttered. I quickly ran down the stairs. "Where were you?"

"Woah! Missed me?" He asked with a cocky smile on his face. "Psh, nooo…" _lies._ "No but seriously, where have you been?" "Talia's." I frowned.

Brandon rolled his eyes. "It's not what you think. We are _definitely_ not back together." I let out a sigh of relief I didn't know I was holding in. "Does this make you happy? Were you _jealous?_" The cocky smile crept back up onto his face again.

I turned around, hoping Brandon wouldn't see the blush I had. "Is _the_ Callie Jacob jealous?" "Absolutely not." I responded a little too quickly. "Besides, we are getting off track here." "Off track of what?"

"I came down here to apologize, Brandon." He raised an eyebrow. "Apologize? For what?" "For taking off upstairs. I'm sorry… it's just… I didn't know how to deal with rejecting you, _again._" "It's cool." He said, but I could tell by the sad look in his eyes that it _wasn't._ "I understand."

"Anyway," I shook away the guilt that began to build in my mind. "What were you doing at Talia's?" "Putting the damn crazy bitch in her place." I laughed at Brandon's derogatory term for his ex-girlfriend. "A 'crazy bitch' she is, indeed." I agreed with a laugh.

"I mean, who does she think she is, thinking we could just 'get back together'? I _clearly_ like someone else." _The butterflies were back, more of them than ever._ "Brandon…" I said. "But it's true, Callie. It's clear as day that I like someone else, and that someone is _you._"

"How many times do I have to tell you we can't do this? How many times do I have to ask you to stop?" "What if I don't want to stop?" He whispered to me. "I want you." He paused. "And I'm not stopping until I get you."

I hadn't even noticed he had his arm across my shoulders until he moved to walk away, his fingers slowly trailing along my back, leaving me to melt underneath his touch. "I mean it Callie. I'm. _NOT._ Stopping." He added a wink as he ascended the stairs and went into his room. _Hot Damn._ '_GODDAMN BUTTERFLIES GET OUT OF HERE…' _I thought to myself and laughed, blushing.

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Brief Author's Note: If you want, feel free to follow me on twitter SingLoveWrite my fanfiction twitter account has like no followers. its sad. I'm trying to post updates and just discuss the show in general through tweets. I HAS NO FRIENDS. Lol :P


	16. Chapter 15

I went upstairs and took out my journal to continue the assignment I had started. Even though it had been due and turned in long ago, I couldn't stop writing.

The fact that I couldn't have Brandon was killing me, and I needed to get it out, whether it be on paper, or through music. Unfortunately, I had forgotten to close the door, and when I looked up from my paper, I saw none other than Brandon leaning up against my doorway.

"What are you writing?" "Oh, nothing, just an assignment for English." I lied. "Can I see?" "I would rather you not." He didn't push the issue any further, because of knowing what happened the last time someone had read my journal.

I closed the book and put it underneath the stack of others on my nightstand. I pulled out the guitar Brandon had given me. "Oh, Brandon, I almost forgot to show you something." I aligned my fingers on the frets and strummed. "You got the C chord." He smiled. "Thanks to none other than you. Thanks for the help." "Anytime."

We sat there for a while, practicing different chords, until we heard Mariana come up the stairs. Brandon rushed out of my room just as Mariana came in.

"Oooh, what was that?" she asked me. "Why did Brandon get up in a hurry?" "It was nothing." I said, but had an obvious blush on my face. "He was just teaching me guitar."

Mariana smiled. "It was absolutely not _nothing._ Spill, sister." "Okay, but close the door." She jumped up from her bed and shut the door quickly. "Now, _really_, what is going on between you and Brandon?"

Recently, I had become closer with Mariana, and I felt comfortable telling her about what was going on. I proceeded to tell her about every interaction Brandon and I had ever had, how he asked me out, _several times,_ how I rejected him, _several times,_ and he still didn't give up.

"He's got it _bad,_ Callie." Mariana laughed. "It's a secret to no one how he feels about you. The way he looks at you alone gives it away." "Yeah, but…" "But what?"

"It can get Jude and I kicked out. It's against the rules!" "But you have a crush on him, right?" "What are you getting at here, Mariana?" "So what it's forbidden! Go get him! I'll cover for you." "Really?" "Yeah! A secret relationship, that is like, sooo _romantic_, don't you think?" "Uh, I don't know…" "Give it a shot! You two obviously like each other, you need to get together already. I can tell it is killing both of you."

"Well, thanks for telling me you will help us break the rules, Mariana." I said sarcastically, but with a smile on my face. "Anytime. I like a little trouble."

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I needed to put in a little Callie/Mariana moment... because I realized the only characters that even really played a role in this story were Callie & Brandon (well, duh) Wyatt, Talia, and Liam... I needed more characters. Review! :)


	17. Chapter 16

This is probably my favorite chapter that I have written. Read and Review! :)

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I heard Brandon's piano from across the hall, a sound that was not uncommon in this household. I stopped in front of his door and listened as he flawlessly clicked his keys, creating a wonderful, melodious sound that drifted through the entire house.

Without thinking, at the end of the song, I clapped. _Shit. Now he knows I'm here._

His door slowly opened. "Can I help you?" He asked, but with a smile on his face."Uh, no, I was just, uh, walking by." "Uh huh." He laughed. "Callie, you do realize you don't have to 'pass by' my room to get to the bathroom, or downstairs, or anywhere… I know you were listening."

"Okay, fine, you got me." I admitted. "I was eavesdropping. But who wouldn't, when you have a talent like that?" "Flattery will get you nowhere, Callie." He joked. "But seriously, it's okay. Anyone else, I wouldn't want listening. But you… well I believe I can make an exception. Go get your guitar."

I walked back to my room and grabbed the guitar before running back to Brandon's. "I wanted to show you something." He led me over to his piano and pointed to the piece of sheet music sitting atop the keys. He sat down, adjusted the music, and began to play. It sounded vaguely familiar, but there was something new added to it. He pointed to the bottom line on the paper. "Play this. On your guitar."

I began strumming, trying to figure out the music. It flowed with the piano perfectly. It sounded beautiful. Once we finished, I spoke. "I love this, you know. When we play together. It makes me feel safe." "I love it when we play together, too. And that is why I did this."

"What is this, Brandon?" I motioned to the sheet music. "Do you remember, back when you first came here, when we were in the practice room at school?" I nodded. "Do you remember the song I composed?" He put his hands on the piano.

"This is me." He played. "These are my moms." Another few keys added. "These are the twins." The beautiful melody continued. He stopped. "But then, I got to thinking."

He added more keys, the unfamiliar ones. "This is you and Jude. But I couldn't help but feeling that it didn't sound right." I frowned, slightly. "So I took out a few."

He left some of the unfamiliar keys, but removed some. "This is Jude." He played the revised new part. Finally, He pointed to the last line on the page. _The guitar line._ "I believe it is your turn, here."

I played, and then it clicked in my mind. "That's you." He whispered softly. "The piano part for you didn't sound right, because you are too special for it. You needed to stand out."

We continued playing the piece again, this time, holding so much more meaning. "What was missing, before, was you, Callie." There was never a moment in my life that I had felt more love than that moment, playing with Brandon. And so, I did what I thought was right.

I kissed him.

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AWWWWWWW. Finally.


	18. Chapter 17

I finally made Brallie happen! Now if only it would happen on the show... *sigh* Read and Review! :)

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Brandon. And so, I did what I thought was right. I kissed him.

It was soft, and short, and sweet, and I pulled away as quickly as I had leaned in. I gasped, shocked at what I had just done.

"Brandon, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…" "Don't even finish that sentence." He whispered huskily and moved closer. "You definitely _should_ have."

Gently, Brandon put his hands on my waist, and leaned in again. This time, he initiated the kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck and poured everything I had into kissing Brandon.

The feel of his lips on mine made me completely forget why I hadn't done this the first day I met him. After what seemed like an eternity, but had only been a few minutes, we broke apart.

"Wow." He said. "You could say that again." "Wow." I rolled my eyes. "It's an expression, Brandon." "I know, I just felt that saying it again was needed." I smiled.

"So…what now?" I said. "What do you mean?" "I mean, I just kissed you. Something I swore to myself I would never do. Something that could affect me staying in this house? So what do we do now? Go back to everyday life?"

"Callie, are you implying we forget this and move on? Because that is absolutely _not_ what I want. You can't lead me on like this, then leave me hanging after one kiss."

"Two." I corrected him. "And not nearly enough…" He added. It was at this point that Brandon and I kissed for the third time that night. "We have to stop—" "I don't want to stop, Callie."

"You didn't let me finish. We have to stop _until_ we have this figured out." "Well, let's figure it out, then."

"We have to act like nothing has changed. We can't be together all the time, but we can't avoid each other around other people, either. It will look suspicious." "I'm not sure I can keep my hands off of you around other people, though, Callie…" "Well, please try." I laughed.

"We need to establish times to meet, and need to be calm about it. Don't. Be. Suspicious." "How so?" he questioned. "Be nonchalant about it. Make excuses. You have to use the bathroom, you want to practice the piano, you need to finish your homework, things like that."

"And you?" "I'll do the same. But not at the same time. I'll leave a few minutes before you, or a few minutes after you." "And at school?" He asked. "That one's easy. Music room. Everyone knows we are both there anyway. That one's a given. No one will even notice." "You sure?" "Mariana said she would cover for us."

"You talked to Mariana about this, Callie?" I nodded sheepishly. "Yeah…" "I thought you wanted to keep this a secret?" "I needed a wingman. Well, wingwoman, rather." Brandon laughed. "Wingwoman?" "Yes, don't be sexist." "I'm not." He put his hands up, feigning innocence.

"And don't even try telling me you haven't said anything to Jesus." "I haven't!" He said. "I never got the chance. He's so involved with Lexi all the time we don't get to talk anymore. I kind of miss our Bro time." "Bro time?" This time I questioned his term. "Wingwoman?" He shot back, jokingly.

"Operation Callie and Brandon is now under way." I said to Brandon. "It's about time." He responded.

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This chapter is actually kind of long! (For me, anyway. It's not actually long by any means compared to other stories.) I'm proud of myself. :)


	19. Chapter 18

Kind of a long chapter woohoo! Read and Review :)

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Carefully, I clicked Brandon's door shut so that no one would hear me leave.

Unfortunately, my plan didn't work.

Jude stood outside the door to Brandon's room, his eyebrow arched. "Callie, what were you doing in Brandon's room?" "Oh he was just teaching me the guitar, like always." "Oh really? There seemed to be an awful lot of giggling going on from what I could hear."

"What are _you_ doing outside Brandon's door, Jude?" I asked, changing the topic. "I needed help with my math homework. Lena wasn't home and you weren't available, so I assumed Brandon was the next best option. Apparently not."

"Well, he's free now." "I see that. Don't think I'm stupid, Cal." "What do you mean, Jude?" "I mean, I know about you and Brandon. It's obvious, really."

"What? There is nothing between Brandon and I." _I hated lying to my own brother._ "Don't lie to me, Callie. I know there is. And I'm okay with it."

"You are?" "So you admit there is something going on?" He smirked. "Just go ask Brandon about your math homework already!" I ruffled his hair and walked away.

Brandon's POV:

I listened outside my door to hear Jude and Callie talking. I was worried. If Jude could pick up on the fact that Callie and I liked each other, would the rest of the family? I needed to learn not to be so obvious. Callie had the act down, it was me who was the problem.

I heard a knock on my door. "Come in!" I shouted. It was Jude. "Hey, buddy." I said. "Hi Brandon. Could you help me with this algebra homework?" "Sure thing." I took a look at the paper. '2x + 3 = 6x – 4.' "Oh, that's easy."

I picked up his pencil and leaned over so I could show him the work. "First, you add 4 to both sides, cancelling out the negative 4." I wrote it down. "Then, you end up with 2x + 7 = 6x." Jude nodded. "Next, you subtract 2x from both sides, making it so that the variable is only on one side of the equation." I scribbled a few more notes. "At this point, you end up with 7 = 4x. The last step is to divide both sides by 4, resulting in x having a value of 1.75." "Oh!" He said. The lightbulb appeared to have formed above his head. "I get it now! Thanks, Brandon." "Anytime, kid." I smiled.

"Hey, Brandon?" Jude called from my door. "I didn't just come in here because of my homework." "You didn't?" I asked, puzzled. "Well, it started out with just my homework, but seeing Callie leave your room got me thinking."

"What were you thinking about?" "Well, I know you like Callie." _I knew that._ "And I'm pretty sure she likes you, too." "Mhm." I nodded. "I'm okay with that, but I'm not sure Stef and Lena will be… will Callie and I get kicked out of the house?"

"I don't think so… as long as they don't find out." "So you guys, are like, a secret?" I nodded. "I guess so." "Won't that just get you in more trouble? You know, if they ever found out? I'm not sure lying to them is the best thing to do." "I'm just trying to keep you safe, Jude. Your sister is very special to me. I would never let anything happen to her. Or you." Jude smiled. "You really are a good person, Brandon." "Thanks, I try." He laughed.

"Just don't break my sister's heart. Or I'll make sure I break you." I laughed at his threat. "I'll keep that in mind, bud."

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Aw. Brandon and Jude bonding moment.


	20. Chapter 19

"Time for dinner, kids!" I heard Lena call from downstairs. I left my room to descend the stairs, as Brandon did at the same time. I stopped him before either of us got the chance to reach the stairs.

"Remember, Keep. It. Cool." I whispered to him. "How am I supposed to keep it _cool_ when you are so _hot?_" I heard him tell me. "Stop it with the cheesy jokes, B. I'm being serious now." "Right, right."

We sat down at the dinner table simultaneously, while Mariana and Jude looked at each other knowingly. Jesus and the moms were seemingly oblivious. About halfway through the meal, I felt something touch my hand under the table. I looked down. It was Brandon's hand.

I quietly laced my fingers together with his, trying not to be noticeable. Brandon looked down at our interlocked hands, and smiled. "What's got you so happy, B?" Stef asked. "Oh, nothing. Just thinking about a new song I wrote and how I think it will help me win next competition."

His lie was weak, but the moms seemed to buy it. "Can I be excused?" Brandon said while sneakily throwing a glance in my direction. _It was a signal._ "I suppose. What do you need to do?" Stef asked. "I wanted to practice the piano. That new song I was just talking about."

"Go ahead. I'd like to hear it sometime." "Sure, it just needs some adjustment first." _And you actually need to write a song, to cover that up,_ I thought to myself. After several minutes, as I had planned earlier, I also asked to be excused from the table. "I need to finish some homework." I said and quickly escorted myself upstairs. I actually _did_ need to do my homework, so I set to finish that. However, obviously, that was not the real reason I went upstairs. I went into my bedroom and jotted a few things in my journal, then got up. I checked the hallway. The coast seemed to be clear.

I set off on my first of many (hopefully) secret meetings with Brandon, as Mariana came out of the bathroom. She threw me a knowing glance, but pointed back at our shared bedroom.

I followed her, and she shut the door. "So?" she said, expecting an answer, once we were in the room. "So, what?" I questioned back. "So? Are you and Brandon, like, _together,_ now, or what? Don't think I didn't see you guys holding hands under the table." "Shit, was that obvious?" "Not really, I just know what to look for." I laughed.

She continued. "So are you together, or was that just the normal, you know, sibling hand holding?" She asked sarcastically. "I suppose we are together." "You suppose?" She arched her eyebrow.

"Yeah." "What does that mean?" "Well, we kissed… several times?" Mariana smirked "I knew it!" "But" I continued, "We aren't exactly boyfriend-girlfriend either. I think." "You need to figure that out." "Can I go now?" "To go sneak around with Brandon? Absolutely! Go at it, sister!" I laughed at her and rolled my eyes. "You are so weird." She spoke to defend herself, "What? I like drama, okay!" "Whatever, Mariana."

I left the room and was finally able to get across the hall.

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Almost 20 chapters already? HOLY CRAP! And its only been like a week! I mean, my chapters are short... but still. 20? Review! :)


	21. Chapter 20

20 chapters now! I feel like it is really long... but my chapters are each really short soooo... I would combine them, but they have individual ideas that i feel wouldn't work in the same chapter. And so, my story will have a lot of chapters, just short ones. Oh well. Deal. Lol. Read and Review! :)

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As quietly as I could, I knocked on Brandon's door. "Who is it?" He called. "Callie." I heard him shuffle to the door and open it quickly.

"Hey." He said, with that half-smirk of his that I loved. "Hey." I said, back.

"You should consider yourself lucky I came to the door." He joked. "And why is that?" "I don't stop playing in the middle of a song for just _anyone_." He shut the door and I followed him over to the piano. "If you don't mind, I'm going to finish now." "Of course."

I wandered aimlessly around his room, the piano serving as background noise. I got to his desk, and stopped. There were pictures around his room, everywhere, but the one on his desk stood out. It was just me and him, outside, when I was playing guitar. It was the day after the party, the one where I opened up to him about what happened. When he snuck up behind me and helped me with the chords. I smiled.

I waited until he had finished playing, and then I walked over, with the picture, and sat next to him on the piano bench. "I love this picture." I pointed to the one that I had found on the desk. "I do too." "I love it, but how did you even get it?" He smiled at me sheepishly. "I kind of snapped a picture of us when you weren't paying attention. You were too lost in your music to even notice."

"Well it's easy to get so lost in the music when you have such an excellent teacher." I winked at him. "Thanks." He said. "Now what were you here for, Callie? Hm?"

He knew very well why I had come to his room, but he wanted me to initiate, I supposed. "I'm here, because I like you." "And?" "And I like spending time with you." "And?" "And I like doing this." I reached up and gave him a small kiss on the lips. "A lot."

"That's what I was looking for." He whispered against my lips. He cupped my face in his hands and kissed me again. Hard. I never really had understood what girls had said about feeling '_sparks'_ or '_fireworks'._ But now, suddenly, here, with Brandon, I understood very well.

My hands tangled in his hair, while his looped lightly around my waist. We were lost in our own little world. So lost, that we didn't even notice the door open. We didn't notice, until we heard the clearing of a throat.

We immediately jumped apart to find a shocked-looking Jesus at the doorway.

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CLIFFHANGAH. MWAHAHAHA


	22. Chapter 21

It needs to be Monday already GAHHHH! Read and Review! :)

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"What's going on here?" Jesus asked.

"Uh…" Brandon and I said, simultaneously. "Because what it looked like to me is that you two were making out. And my vision isn't that bad." I couldn't help but to laugh at his remark.

"Shut the door, Jesus." Brandon said. He did. Jesus sat on Brandon's bed and looked at us. "Ok. Now you can tell me what is going on." I looked at Brandon, concerned. "Mariana and Jude already know, so what's the harm in telling Jesus?" Brandon whispered. "Nothing, I guess." I whispered back.

Brandon grabbed my hand and started to talk. "So if you couldn't tell already, which I'm pretty sure you _could_, judging by the events that just took place, Callie and I are together now." "Do moms know?"

"No. And they can't. Not now, anyway. But Mariana and Jude already know." "Do you know how bad this could end up?" "Yes, we are aware. You won't tell moms, right?" "Nah. I know all about forbidden relationships. You know, with the whole Lexi situation and all. Carry on." Jesus left the room.

"That was close." Brandon sighed of relief. "Do you know how bad that could have been if it were your mom or Lena?" I asked him. "Yeah. I'm sure as hell glad it wasn't, though."

"Now everyone except Lena and Stef knows. This is bad…" "I know." "We need to be more secretive." "And how do we be more secret than this?" "Good point there, Brandon. We need to think about that. But not now. Goodnight."

I gave him one last kiss before I left the room. I quietly clicked the door closed behind me. When I got back to my own bedroom, I saw Mariana was there as well. "Hey." She said. "Hi." "So…Jesus caught you, huh?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?" "I see things." "Do you now?" "Yeah." "Anyway, I'm going to need your help, Mariana." "With?" "Distracting Stef and Lena. You, Jude, and Jesus all managed to find out. The moms definitely _can't_."

"I got it." "You do?" "Yeah, I have my ways. I just need to devise a plan first." "Okay, just make it quick." "I'll try, Callie. But in the meantime, try to keep your interaction with Brandon, or at least your _romantic_ interaction to a minimum, kay?" "Okay. Goodnight Mariana." "Night."


	23. Chapter 22

Sorry I haven't updated in a couple of days, guys. :( I have been kind of busy, plus I had severe writer's block. -_- Anyway, I'm back! And on a positive note, TODAY'S MONDAY! And we all know what that means! :)

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"I think I'm going to drive Callie to school today." I heard Brandon say from the kitchen to Stef the next morning.

"Why do you two need to be in so early that you can't wait for us to drive you?" "We were going to work on some music together in the practice room." _More like make out in the practice room_, I thought. "Well, okay. Have a good day." Stef said with a skeptical look on her face.

"I think they are on to us." I said to Brandon once we got in his car. "I think they are, too. Although, their reaction might not be so bad, you never know. Maybe they would approve." "Unlikely." "How much longer can we hide this?" "I don't know, Brandon."

We pulled up to the school. "Because I really like you Callie, I don't like hiding…" "Shut up, we are at school! People can hear us!" I put a finger over his mouth. I followed him into the practice room and shut the door.

"What was the shushing for?" He asked once we got in the room. "People can't know about us." "I get why moms can't know, but why can't the students?" "Brandon, you always seem to forget that Lena works here." "Oh, right." I rolled my eyes at him.

Brandon set his backpack down on the floor as I did the same. He sat down on the piano bench. I sat right next to him. "You do know there is a chair across from me, right?" "Yeah, I know." I smirked. "Does this _bother_ you, Brandon?" "Uh, no."

I scooted closer to him. "Callie, you do realize it's practically impossible to focus on _anything_, let alone _music_ with you this close to me, right?" "Exactly my point." I gave him a small peck on the cheek then got up to sit across from him instead.

"You are such a tease, Callie Jacob." "You know you love it." I pulled the guitar out from behind me and started to play. Brandon played along with me, but about halfway through, made a face. "What's with the face?" "Your A minor chord. It hurt."

I laughed. "You could have put that more nicely." "Fine. You were playing the A minor chord _incorrectly._"

"Care to help me, O wonderful musical prodigy?" He repositioned my fingers. "Here, try this." I strummed. "Much better." Even after he fixed the chord, Brandon had not moved from his current position behind me. While I was playing, he started kissing my neck softly.

"Hey! Stop distracting me!" "You distracted me first!" He continued to kiss me, working his way up to my ear and whispered softly. "Payback's a bitch, isn't it?" I took him by surprise by turning my head so he kissed my lips instead.

I put the guitar down and wrapped my arms around Brandon's cupped my face. I heard faint knocking on the door so we immediately broke apart. My eyes flicked toward the door, and who stood on the other side of it.

The girl on the other side, with the red hair and evil smirk.

_Talia_. _Oh shit._

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Talia is back. MWAHAHAHAHA


	24. Chapter 23

Let's talk Monday's episode: HOLY MOLY that was intense. I have already watched it three times... but seriously between Lexi being missing, and the illegal immigration thing, and the Liam/Wyatt/Brandon fight (GO BRANDON), to Callie opening up to Brandon, to Jude and Connor's conversation, to Callie talking to Sarah, to the conversation about the Callie/Liam situation... I JUST CAN'T. Oh. . Anyway, read and review! :)

* * *

Talia waltzed into the room and immediately sat on the piano bench across from us.

"So my suspicions were right." She said and looked between us. "And you _obviously _know I don't approve." "Who says we needed _your_ approval, Talia?" I snapped back.

"Oh you don't. But I have a feeling that Brandon's _moms_ may like to know." "You wouldn't." "Oh, but you know I would."

This time Brandon spoke. "Talia, what kind of thrill will you get out of ruining mine and Callie's relationship? It's not like I would get back with _you_ after you deliberately go out of your way to get me in trouble. Plus, I'm sure I have already made it pretty clear that I'm _not interested_." I mentally applauded Brandon for his comeback. Talia pondered what he said.

"So? It would still split you two up." "Do you find joy in killing other people's happiness?" I said. Brandon laughed at my remark. "Not usually. Except when it's yours." "Talia! That's _ENOUGH._" Brandon shouted. "Back off of me, back off of my moms, back off of my relationship, and back off of my _girlfriend._"

Obviously startled by Brandon's sudden anger, Talia got up to leave, feeling threatened. "Fine. But I'm sure once you find out about Liam _I_ won't seem so bad." She plastered her fake smile back on her face, gave a little wave, and walked away.

"I _hate_ that bitch." I snarled. "I don't know why I dated her in the first place." Brandon replied. "Because I'm sure you fell for her fake charm. It took jealousy for her inner demon to come out." "And in a way, I'm glad it did, Callie."

"Huh?" "If she hadn't gone all psycho-bitch, I wouldn't have broken up with her, and therefore, wouldn't have gone out with you." I smiled. "Well, thank god for demon Talia then." He chuckled. "Yeah, I suppose."

"Oh and Brandon?" "Yeah?" "While you were all busy sassing Talia, did I hear you refer to me as your _girlfriend_?" "Uh, yeah, I guess you did."

"I never said I was your girlfriend."

His smile faltered. "What?" I laughed at his nervousness. "I never agreed to be your _girlfriend,_ because you never actually _asked._"

"Well then, Callie Jacob, would you do the honor of being my girlfriend." "I _guess._" I said sarcastically, faking rolling my eyes. "Brandon Foster, that gives you the privilege of being my _boyfriend._" "I suppose it does."

"Well then. We are now official." I joked, reaching my hand out to shake his. "How about a kiss instead?" He raised his eyebrows suggestively. "Brandon, we already missed the first period bell." "We could always skip." "_The Brandon Foster_ cutting class? I never would've imagined."

"What can I say? You've turned me into kind of a badass."

I laughed and kissed him.


	25. Chapter 24

Okay, here's the deal with this chapter. In Monday's oh-so-intense episode, i LOVED the Liam/Wyatt/Brandon fiasco. And so, I wanted to incorporate it. However, as you may know from reading previous chapters of my story, Wyatt is already out of the picture, so it wouldn't make sense. And so, I decided to put my own twist on it, where Brandon is the hero. (Because I know that's what we all wanted anyway...) Read and Review! :)

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After school, I waited outside for Brandon so we could take our usual way to walk home. It had been longer than usual, so I was standing outside alone.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a jeep pull up, and a tall, muscular man get out. _Liam._ "How many times do I have to tell you? Stay away from me, and stay away from _Sarah._" I tried to run away, but Liam grabbed me by the arm. "OW! Liam, stop!" "And who's going to stop me, Callie? _Wyatt?"_ he laughed maniacally.

"Oh wait, I forgot. You and Wyatt weren't _actually_ dating. He didn't _actually _care about you! You have no one to save you now." At this point, I was crying. I wasn't crying because he was hurting me, I was crying because I was _terrified._ I was terrified that the past was back to haunt me, and I was terrified that I couldn't help others facing Liam's wrath.

Out of nowhere, Brandon came running and tried to hold back Liam. "GET. THE. HELL. OFF. MY. GIRLFRIEND!" I had never seen Brandon so angry. He jerked his head to the side as if to say "Run, Callie!" and so, I did. I ran, to the nearest tree, and hid behind it. I only heard mumbling because I was so far away, but the last thing I heard was Brandon shout, "Stay away from Callie or I'll call the cops! I happen to be the son of two of San Diego's _finest._"

At that remark, Liam ran back to his car as quickly as he could and sped off.

Brandon jogged over to me and protectively pulled me into a hug. "I was so scared for you, Callie." "I was scared, too." "Care to tell me what that was all about?" I took a deep breath and began.

"There's this girl at group, Sarah. She's younger than us. She is staying with Liam's family now, and I'm afraid… I'm afraid, Brandon, that he is doing the same thing to her." "Well, have you tried warning her?" "I have. She won't take it. She thinks I'm crazy." "Well you did everything you could, it's her choice."

"That's the problem. It _isn't_ her choice." Brandon stared at me, puzzled. I started to cry again and continued shakily. "At least, it wasn't _mine._" We stopped walking, and Brandon turned to face me. "Callie, what's going on?"

"I always thought it was my fault, you know? But it wasn't. It wasn't my _choice,_ and it wasn't my _fault._" I continued my story. "One night, Liam came into my room…and he asked me to, _you know._"

I choked back sobs. "When I told him I wasn't ready, he, he forced me…" I took a deep breath to continue the final stretch. "He forced me, to have sex with him." "Oh, Callie…" Brandon looked so broken and sympathetic at that moment. "Oh, Callie, I'm so sorry."

As if I thought his protective hug before couldn't get any tighter, he engulfed me in a massive embrace. I couldn't stop crying. "Shhhh, Callie, it's all going to be okay. I _promise._" He rocked me back and forth, kissing my temple to try to calm me down, humming random tunes during the process. "Now, I can finally see, why you were so reluctant to open up to me all this time…" Brandon trailed off.

"But Brandon, now I know, I know that you are _nothing_ like Liam. You have the biggest heart I could ever imagine, and you are so selfless. Thank You." "It's nothing." "Nothing? Since day one you have been nicer to me than anyone else I have ever met." "You were so broken, so fragile, so _beautiful,_ I felt it was my _job_ to protect you." He smiled weakly.

"I think I'm falling in love with you, Brandon. Hard. And fast." "Well I already knew I was in love with you." "Really? How long?"

"Since the minute you walked through the door."

He intertwined our fingers, and that's how we remained the entire walk home. Silent, but not an awkward silence. The silence more or less signified a mutual understanding. And so, walking home with Brandon, hand in hand, in the comfortable silence, I felt _loved._

* * *

*Author's Note* I have come to the understanding that _apparently, _the way this chapter was worded made it seem like an ending. Fear not, dear readers! This is NOT the final chapter of _Piano Keys and Guitar Strums, _just merely a climax, a turning point, where Brandon and Callie realized that they really did love and care for each other. D'AWWWW. So read on! enjoy! :)


	26. Chapter 25

Last night, I had the amazing opportunity to see Train, The Script, AND Gavin DeGraw all in ONE concert. At Jones Beach. Warm air, sea breeze, bright lights, and great music. Couldn't have asked for a better night. Anyway, I HAVE RETURNED from my short hiatus, and I will now be continuing my story. I made this sort of a long chapter in exchange for not updating for a few days. Anyway, enjoy! Read and Review! :)

* * *

We got to the porch, and Brandon let go of my hand. I understood why, but suddenly, my hand felt cold and empty. He turned to face me. "I think you should tell moms, about what you told me…You know, if you want to."

"I should, you are right." We walked into the living room to see Stef and Lena sitting on the couch. "Stef, Lena, I have something to tell you." I said timidly. Brandon turned to walk away. "I'll let you guys talk." "No, you can stay." He smiled at me.

"A few years ago, I was in a different Foster home," I began to tell the story of Liam. The arrival, the friendship, the relationship, the rape, the rejection. By the time I was done, my face was tear-stained and my eyes were blood-shot. Both Stef and Lena sat there stunned. Lena crying, and Stef boiling with anger.

"We are going to track down that bastard if it is the last thing I do." Stef told me. "We are glad you told us." "I'm kind of glad to have it off my chest." "Did Brandon know already? Why was he in here?" "Yeah, I told him on the way home…" "Oh."

I got up to leave the room and Brandon followed me shortly thereafter. He engulfed me in a huge hug, rocking me back and forth and kissing my cheek; much like how he comforted me on the way home, when I told him about Liam. I felt safe, and happy, and loved, until I heard footstep coming towards the doorway.

Stef's POV (oooh, switching it up)

After Callie told me about the rape, I was furious. I needed to file a report, immediately, and get the case solved. I got up to make a few calls, when I stopped.

I passed through the hallway, and that is where I saw a sight that surprised me. It was Callie, and Brandon. Callie was in Brandon's arms, Brandon seemingly comforting her.

He was rocking her back and forth, humming to her quietly, almost how you would treat a child. _Gently. Lovingly._ They both looked so happy. I smiled for a second, happy for both of them, but then, I realized the rules. What _I_ had told Brandon. I didn't know for a fact that they were _in_ a relationship, what they were doing could be _friendly,_ or _brotherly,_ but I had the gut feeling that it was more.

I decided to not mention it for now, for there were larger stakes at hand, but I would keep an eye on them in the future. I decided to hold off on making the calls, and instead went back into the living room and sat next to Lena. "Hey, honey?" I questioned. "Yes?" "Did you ever notice anything, you know, _going on_ between Brandon and Callie? They seem awfully close."

Lena raised an eyebrow. "I haven't really noticed much. They could be just friends, you know. Callie _trusts_ Brandon." "That's the thing. Callie didn't even trust _Wyatt,_ her supposed boyfriend, yet she trusts our son like her life depends on it."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Lena tried to reason. "If she didn't open up to Brandon, she probably would've never opened up to _us._ Give them a chance, if there is '_something going on_,' anyway. "But, the system.." "Can you forget about the system for _TWO SECONDS, _Stef? Can't you see that both of them are happier than they have ever been? Callie _needs_ Brandon. And I'm starting to feel that Brandon needs Callie, too."

"I still don't know how I feel about them having a romantic relationship." "You don't know that their relationship is romantic. And even if it were, can't you bend the rules a bit?" "Not if we adopt them, I can't." Lena froze. "You want to adopt Callie and Jude?" "I don't know, I may." "Now that would cause some problems." "Exactly what I'm saying." "Well, while we are still _fostering_ them, can you give Callie and Brandon a chance?"

"I don't know Lena, they will both just end up getting hurt."

* * *

The moms are catching on. OHHH NO. Okay and let me just rant about the last episode a little bit. CALLIE IS DEFINITELY WITH WYATT, and Brandon is hanging out with TALYA? OH HELL NAW. This can't happen. NOOOOOO.


	27. Chapter 26

I FINALLY WROTE CHAPTER 26. I had writer's block for the longest time. It feels like I haven't updated in FOREVER. In reality, it had only been like, a _week_, but whatever. Anyway, I wrote and rewrote this chapter a million times, never satisfied until now. Read and Review! :)

* * *

Later that night, I noticed the house was entirely too quiet. I crept down the stairs and found Brandon.

"Where is everyone?" He asked. "I'm not sure. I just got home… and the house was _empty._" "Do you think something happened?" "God, I hope not." "Anyway, how was your silent movie?" He came up to give me a peck on the cheek.

"Boring. Lonely." I laughed. "What about your concert?" "It was good. But also, lonely. I mean, Talya was there, but we didn't hang out, exactly." "You went with Talya?"

"She was the one who gave me the tickets. But don't worry, I made it very clear to her that I am _taken._" He winked at me then gave me one slow kiss, before we jumped apart due to a knock on the door. "Why is there _always_ an interruption?" I mumbled.

Brandon opened the door, to see two cops standing on the doorstep. They looked solemn. "Hi, we are looking for a Brandon Foster." "You are speaking to him, what's going on?" "It appears that your mother has been involved in a shooting, and is currently in the hospital."

"What? When? How?" "Those details are not ones to be released at the moment. All we can tell you is that your mother is in intensive care." Brandon stood there in shock, tears threatening to spill over his eyes as the officers closed the door and left. "I'll go get your keys." I said quietly. "Thanks." He whispered back.

When we arrived at the hospital, Brandon rushed out of the car as quickly as he could, still crying. He practically ran up to the receptionist's desk once we had entered the building.

"Where's my mom?" He kept asking at different volumes, sometimes shouting, sometimes whispering. The receptionist looked sympathetic, but confused.

"Pardon? Name?" "I need. To see. My mother." Considering the fact that Brandon was in no condition to take questions, I decided to take charge. "Uh, his mom, was…_shot._ Brought here not too long ago. Her name is Stef Foster." "Okay."

The receptionist smiled at me and went to the computer to look in her database. "She is currently in the ICU, so you can't see her at the moment." Brandon's sad face shifted to an angry one.

"What do you mean I can't see her? She's my mom! I need her!" "Shhh, Brandon, calm down. It'll be okay." I grabbed his hand. "Do you happen to know when we can see her?" "Well, as I said, she is in ICU right now, but I think she is getting moved out of there soon. The rest of the family is currently in the second floor waiting room. If you take the elevator to the left you can go up and meet them." "Thank you so much." "No problem."

"Come on Brandon." He ran so fast that he was practically dragging me to the elevator.

* * *

OKAY PLEASE TELL ME, EVERYONE, THAT YOU SAW THAT PROMO. MY #BRALLIE FEELS. AHHHHHH


	28. Chapter 27

We walked into the waiting room, still hand in hand, yet no one seemed to notice.

As soon as Brandon saw Lena, he left my side and ran to her, engulfing her in a massive hug. "Is mom okay?" "She will be, Brandon." Lena responded. "She had minor damage to the lung, but other than that, nothing else." "Thank God."

Once Stef was moved out of intensive care and to a room on the same floor as us, Lena went to visit her, while Mariana, Jesus, Brandon, and I stayed behind.

Brandon walked over to Mariana and Jesus. "We take you in and this is what you do!" He seems angry. "When your crackhead of a mother dumped you guys, we took you in. Now, because of you, my own mother is in there FIGHTING FOR HER LIFE. And to think I considered you two my siblings." He scoffed.

"Brandon, STOP!" I said, forcefully. "I think you should take a walk. Get out some steam." He left the room angrily. Mariana was crying, while Jesus looked furious. "Listen, guys…" I trailed off, trying to explain. "Brandon didn't mean what he said. He's just scared." "I know." Mariana choked back sobs. "I've just never felt like more of a _foster_ kid than that moment. I thought we were family. I feel like an outsider."

"You are _not_ an outsider, Mariana. Neither are you, Jesus. You two are just as much Brandon's brother and sister as I am Jude's sister, you hear me? _I'm_ the only outsider here." "No, Callie, you aren't an outsider. You belong with us." Mariana hugged me. "Well, thank you. I'm going to go check on Brandon, you know, see if he's okay." "Okay, Callie, see you later."

I went down in the elevator, and left the building, to find Brandon sitting on the curb outside. I sat right next to him. "Hey, B. How are you holding up?" "Not great." "Your mom is going to be okay, you know?"

He ignored my statement and responded irrelevantly. "I'm a douche." "What?" "I said, I'm a douche." "I heard what you said, Brandon, but you are wrong. What would make you think that?"

"What I said in there! To Mariana and Jesus! I have never felt so guilty in my entire life." "You may be scared, you may be angry, you may be upset, but Brandon, one thing you are _not_ is a douche. You are sweet, you are kind, you are talented, you are funny, you are just…_ Brandon._ Even you can have a bad day every once in a while."

Instead of responding, he kissed me as hard as he could. I kissed back, savoring the moment for a second, before pulling away. "Come on, we should get inside. I grabbed his hand pulling him up. "Besides, I don't think a hospital is the best place for PDA." I winked at him, giggling.

"Thank you, Callie." "For what?" "For everything. You always know exactly what to say… and I don't know how you keep yourself so strong." "I'm not as strong as you may think. I just know how to act." "Well, whatever you are doing, I need to learn how to do it." I laughed.

"Come on, B. Let's go see your mom."

* * *

Only 3 more days until the finale! AHHH I CAN'T WAIT


	29. Chapter 28

Sorry I haven't updated in a while, guys! I've been busy... I went on another road trip last weekend (surprise, surprise) And then I was busy fangirling over the FINALE and the fact that I got a tweet reply from DAVID FREAKIN' LAMBERT! And then, I started writing a new fanfic (It's called Some Secrets are Better Left Unspoken, you guys should check it out) But I finally have a new chapter up, and I'm going to try to update more these next couple of days. Read and Review! :)

* * *

Later that night, we arrived back home, and the mood was tense and awkward. Mariana and Jesus sat in the living room, looking through boxes, while Brandon and I sat in the kitchen.

Brandon had his elbows on the counter, head in his hands, and was sulking. I just stared at him. I had never seen Brandon so upset. I went over to him and rubbed his back, soothingly. "Brandon, your mom is going to be okay." "I know, this isn't even about my mom anymore. I still feel so horrible about what I said to Jesus and Mariana. I'm a terrible brother." "If you still feel bad, why don't you go apologize?" "Would they even accept it?" "You'll never know until you try."

I sat on the steps, eavesdropping, while Brandon went into the living room to talk to Mariana and Jesus. He sat down, and just stared at them sympathetically for a moment, before reaching into one of the boxes. He pulled out a toy megaphone, and pressed the button on it. "I'm sorry I'm an ass." His voice sounded funny from the toy. Mariana smiled, slightly, while Jesus motioned for Brandon to give him the megaphone. "I'm sorry you're an ass, too." The three giggled, and I smiled.

Suddenly, we heard knocking on the door. "Who is it?" Brandon asked. "It's Jude." We let him in, and I embraced him in a hug. "You walked home in the dark?" "It's not that far. I heard what happened to Stef." "Don't ever do that again, Jude. Do you know how unsafe that was?"

Later that night, we were all sleeping in the living room, as Jude and I lied awake. "Callie? Are you awake?" "I am now." "Is Stef going to die?" "No. This family is not like ours. They're lucky." Little did I know, Brandon was awake, too, and he heard the conversation between Jude and I.

The next morning, I was in the kitchen making breakfast, and Brandon walked in. "Hey." He walked over and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. "How'd you sleep?" "Not great." "What are you making?" "Biscuits and gravy." He arched his eyebrow. "You've never had biscuits and gravy before? It's classic comfort food. My mom used to make it all the time."

He realized that I had brought up my mom, and decided to ask me a question. At this point, I could tell that he had overheard the conversation I had with Jude the night before.

"So I know you said that your mom, uh…died. But you never told me how you ended up in foster care. I mean, you don't _have_ to tell me, it's just, I realized I don't really know your story." "Well, It's not a long one. My mom died in a car accident, my dad was driving. He was drunk."

Hearing this struck a chord in Brandon's heart. Callie's father was an alcoholic like his own?

"Some people in the other car died too, so he went to jail for manslaughter." "Is he still in prison?" "Yeah, I guess. I used to write him letters, but he stopped answering." "Why?" Brandon asked me, like a little child finding out something for the first time. I shrugged. "Do you think he will ever come back for you and Jude, you know, when he gets out of prison?" "I doubt it." "Well, I'm sorry."

"Not your fault." I managed to squeak out, holding back tears. Brandon pushed a piece of hair behind my ear, and leaned in close to me. "It doesn't have to be my fault for me to feel bad, Callie." He gave me a gentle kiss, and I smiled.


	30. Chapter 30

It had been a few weeks since the shooting, and Stef was out of the hospital. Her and Lena had been planning their wedding, which would be a happy and momentous occasion, while I was busy thinking over what I was going to say at my trial with Liam. In order to get any justice, I was supposed to lie. How was lying going to do any good? Liam would go to jail, but for the wrong crime.

Later that day, I sat in my room with Brandon, discussing what I should do. Brandon knew about the trial, but what he didn't know about were all the complications that came with it. "How'd it go?" he asked me. "Not great. Like they would ever believe me." "The ADA said he didn't believe you?" "No. He said a jury wouldn't." "Well I'm sure it's going to work out, somehow." "No! Brandon, you don't get to tell me these things. I'm not you, I don't have a perfect life. So stop, stop telling me everything will work out, when I know it won't." I got up and stormed out of the room, instantly feeling guilty that I yelled at Brandon. He did nothing wrong, he was only trying to help.

I expected him to be mad, but instead, he just came out in the hallway and hugged me. "Brandon, I'm sorry for yelling at you… I just couldn't take hearing those things that aren't true." "You don't know that they aren't true. Just because your past hasn't been the best, doesn't mean your future won't be." I smiled at him. "I love you." "And I love you." I reached up and kissed him, showing him that words weren't needed."We shouldn't be doing this in the hallway." I giggled. "Yeah, you are probably right."

Later that night, I had a discussion with Mariana about the trial, and she told me that lying would only hurt me in the end. "Lies lead to other lies." And so, the next day, when it came to the trial, I told the complete honest truth. Liam wasn't punished, but hopefully, his own conscience would feel guilty. Later that night, when I got home, Brandon pulled me aside. "Listen, Callie…" he sounded somewhat worried. "What is it, Brandon?" He lowered his voice to a whisper. "I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but moms want to adopt you."

"What? But we—what's going to happen to _us_, Brandon?" "Not sure. They came to ask me a little while ago if it was okay." "What did you say?" "I said yes, to get them off my back. Callie, if you get adopted, that would make you my _sister._ That would be all kinds of wrong." "What should we do?" "I think we should tell them about us." "What if they send me away? Then neither Jude nor I would get adopted." "But if we don't say anything, you both will get adopted, and, yes, I would love to have Jude as a younger brother. But you _can't_ be my sister. We're Brandon and Callie. Even if we stopped dating, I could never see you as a sibling." "I don't know what to do, B." "Me either. We're going to have to figure it out."

The next morning, the big announcement came. The entire family was gathered in the living room. "Callie, Jude, we have found you guys a more permanent home. And we would like it to be ours." Jude looked really happy, but the three Foster siblings had to fake it. Mariana and Jesus looked back and forth between Brandon and I, while Brandon just stared at me, looking into my eyes as if to say 'tell them.'

"What do you guys say?" Jude answered 'yes' while at the same time I said "No." "No? Why not, Callie? Are you uncomfortable here?" "No, it's not that, you guys are great and all," "Then what is it?" I swallowed nervously. Brandon sat down on the couch, next to me, and took my hand. "I can't get adopted," I looked at Brandon, and he nodded, encouraging me to continue, "Because I've been dating Brandon."


	31. Chapter 31

Neither Stef nor Lena looked shocked—which surprised me. There were no shocked faces, no angry glares, no yelling; just, silence. Stef pinched the bridge of her nose, contemplating the situation, while Lena just looked back and forth—from Brandon and I, to Stef, back to us.

"I feared the day that this would come." Stef finally said. "What? You mean you _knew _this would happen?" "I had my suspicions." "How long has this been going on?" "A couple of months."

"A couple of months? A _couple of months_ you two have been sneaking off behind our backs? How could you two lie, and act like _siblings_ and pretend that everything would be okay when, obviously, it's _not._" Lena put her hand on Stef's shoulder. "Stef, love, calm down, please. We need to find a way to work this out." Stef took a deep breath. "You're right. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have had an outburst like that."

"Why did it take you two so long to admit it to us?" Lena asked. "Honestly, Lena, we hadn't really considered telling you at _all._" I confessed. "I was scared that you wouldn't want me anymore and Jude and I would end up in another bad home." "We decided to tell you _now_ when I heard about the adoption. Moms, if we were to adopt Callie, she would be my sister. You know what's worse than dating your foster sister? Dating your adopted sister. When you are fostering, it's considered forbidden. Once you are adopted, it's _incest._ We needed to get this out."Brandon said.

"And I know saying this is jeopardizing the happiness of Jude and me, but you _can't_ expect me to just break up with Brandon and pretend this never happened. It's honestly just not possible. We need each other." I looked at Brandon and he interlocked his fingers with mine, squeezing, gently.

"Mariana, Jesus, Jude, can you three go upstairs? We need to talk to Brandon and Callie." Lena said, and the three left the room. "Did they know about this?" "Who? Mariana, Jesus, and Jude? Yeah." "So they have been keeping your secret, too."

"We are so sorry for not telling you this, we just knew you wouldn't approve," "Damn straight I don't approve." Stef interrupted. "Brandon Foster, didn't I tell you the rules?" "And what does this have to do with it?" "Don't play dumb, Brandon. The 'no-foster-sibling-hookups' rule."

At this point, Brandon let go of my hand, and stood up, facing Stef. He was slightly angry. "Mom! I didn't break the no-hookup rule, alright!" "What do you mean? Yes you did—" "No. No, Mom, I didn't. What Callie and I have isn't _hooking up._ It's called _love._" He walked over to me and kissed me in front of Stef and Lena as if to prove a point.

"Moms, I have never in my life felt like someone the way I feel about Callie. I am deeply, truly, 100 % head-over-heels in love with her. And at this point, I don't care who you tell. Because I want the _whole world_ to know." He opened the door, and stood out on the porch. He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted "I love Callie Jacob!" and I followed him, "I love Brandon Foster!"

Stef and Lena looked over at Brandon and me—our smiling faces, and our interlocked hands. "We're going to have to think this over." Stef said, once realizing how much this meant to us." "Stef, Lena, I'm so sorry for bringing all of this to you on your wedding day- I just couldn't hold it in any longer." "Thanks for telling us, sweetie." Lena said and smiled weakly. "It's better that we know now than find out later." "Let's get away from all this heavy, serious stuff right now. I believe we have a wedding to attend." Stef said, and wrapped her arms around Brandon and Callie's shoulders. Before letting go, she added, "But don't think you are off the hook."


	32. Author's Note: Vacation

Sorry I haven't been updating as frequently lately, guys! Between band camp and packing, I've been busy. I leave for Hawaii tomorrow morning, and I'll be gone ten days. Maybe, (I can't make any promises, though) I'll write and put up another chapter tonight before I leave. :) I have a _super long _flight tomorrow, so luckily, I'll have some time to brainstorm and maybe write a bit on my phone. Unfortunately for my dear readers out there, I'm not bringing my laptop. Meaning: no updates. I will definitely put up a few new chapters when I get back to make up for my time away.

On another note: any of you been to/ live in Hawaii? What are some cool things you have done on the Big Island? I'm super excited!

Not really looking forward to this flight, though.

12 hours. _Twelve._ I'm flying direct from JFK (NY) to Honolulu. Then getting off, and getting on another flight to fly to the big Island.

I don't like long flights.

Oh well, that's the price you have to pay for an awesome vacation.

See you guys soon!

-MusicIsTheHeartAndSoul


	33. Chapter 32

It was a beautiful, elegant, backyard wedding. There were lights strung everywhere, and the normally bare patio tables were decorated to perfection. Bunches of flowers added pops of color to the otherwise neutral color scheme, and it was if the backyard had been transformed. I saw Brandon placing the bottle of wine to chill on ice, and I took the opportunity to talk to him.

"Hey B." "Hey Callie." He leaned down and gave me a quick kiss on the lips. "What's up?" "Uh, Brandon, can we go talk somewhere a little more private?" "Sure, babe." He followed me into the garden which was isolated from the rest of the yard.

"What are we going to do?" "About?" "About _us._ Brandon, Stef and Lena found out. What if they don't want me and Jude now?" "Callie, I'm sure they will understand and still keep you and Jude. You guys are great." "But we broke the rules—" "Callie, listen to me. Yes, we broke the rules. But by breaking the rules, it made you happy. You deserve to be happy."

I looked at him and blushed. Even after several months of dating, Brandon still gave me butterflies every time he talked to me. "You are amazing. Kind, smart, and beautiful." He flashed me a pearly-white smile, and I nearly melted. He stepped closer to me. I knew this might be one of the last times I got to be alone with Brandon, so I took the opportunity.

"You deserve to have everything you want." "I want _you_, B." I reached up, and kissed him with all of the force I had. Quickly, the kiss became heated and my hands tangled in his soft brown hair, while his gripped my waist tightly. I grinned widely.

"I love you so much, Brandon." Our lips connected again. "I love you more." "I seriously doubt that." "Oh, really?" Brandon gently put his lips back on mine. It was just a small, sweet kiss, but it still made me weak in the knees. "I love you more than you could ever imagine, Callie."

Suddenly, Jude opened the gate. I gave Brandon one last kiss. "Give me 5 minutes, B. I think Jude wants to talk to me."

Jude took my hand and pulled me through the other gateway into the street. "What did Stef and Lena say, Callie? Are they keeping us? Are we being sent away?" "They didn't say anything yet, baby. They didn't tell me." "I'm scared, Cal. I love it here. What if they don't want us anymore?"

"They are still going to want us, I'm pretty sure. And if they think about sending us away, you know Brandon will talk to them. He has that _charm._" "Obviously, you would know." Jude joked. He cracked a smile at her.

"Let's go back to the wedding before they start wondering where we are."

The rest of the night, I made a point to spend as much time as I could with Brandon, in case we _were_ to be sent away. During the ceremony, we made a point to stand as close to each other as possible, and we danced together for hours.

When it came time for a slow dance, Brandon was the only partner I had in mind. He put his hands on my lower back and I wrapped mine around his neck. He rested his forehead on mine, and that's how we remained for the entire song.

Stef's POV:

Seeing Brandon and Callie dance together was bittersweet for me. They both looked so _happy_, so content in each other's arms, and yet, I couldn't help but feel that it was so _wrong._ I had no idea what to do. I didn't want to ruin their happiness.

"Lena, what should we do?" "About what?" "Them." She gestured over to Brandon and Callie. "They look so happy, Stef; as if they were made for each other." "I know, love. Should we allow it? I mean, at first I didn't approve, but it would tear their worlds apart if we didn't."

"I think we can bend the rules for them, a little bit."

Callie's POV:

Just as the night was ending, Mariana called the entire family over to the dance floor. She had dedicated a song to the moms and wanted the family to dance together.

I made the most of the moment, knowing it could easily be the last time I was with these people.

When Stef came over to dance with me, she smiled. She leaned down to whisper in my ear. "We've decided to allow it. Go be happy."

I spent the rest of the song dancing with Brandon, both of us grinning from ear to ear.


	34. I'M BACK!

YO GUYS.

I've returned from my trip to Hawaii, which is bittersweet.

I'll miss vacation, but it's also good to be home. :)

I PUT UP A NEW FANFICTION. (yay!)

It's a songfic based on "Don't You Remember?" By Adele. Great Song. Go listen to it. (But bring your tissues)

I'm going to try and have both Piano Keys and Guitar Strums AND Some Secrets Are Better Left Unspoken updated in the next couple of days, but bear with me here.

I'm extremely jetlagged.

Anyway, thanks for reading! (If you stuck with me all this time.)

:D


	35. Chapter 33

I'm both sad and happy to announce- This is the LAST chapter! Thanks so much for reading, I hope you all enjoyed it :)

* * *

Even once most of the crowd had cleared away, Brandon and I had remained on the dance floor. From fast-paced songs to slow, gentle ones, we refused to stop.

We stared into each other's eyes, and danced, and just _enjoyed_ each other's company for so long, they had lost track of time. Lena came over and tapped Brandon on the shoulder. "Guys, it's almost midnight. Shouldn't you be getting inside?"

I turned to go through the back door, but Brandon held me back. "We'll be inside in a few minutes." He said. Lena gave him a soft smile. "Okay, but don't be too long, _lovebirds._" She winked at us. I blushed.

"Callie." I heard Brandon say to me, and I walked back over to him. He held me in his arms. "Would you like to have one last dance?" I grinned widely and nodded. "Music?" I questioned. "We don't need it. Come here."

He wrapped his arms around my waist, and I put mine around his neck. He began to sway me around, twirling me gently. I felt like a princess, when I was with him. I rested my forehead against his.

"This is so perfect, you know?" "Mmm." He responded in approval. "Being here. Dancing with you. I never thought we wouldn't have to hide." "It's wonderful, isn't it?" He flashed me a brilliant white smile. "It is pretty great. With how Stef reacted at first I thought I'd have my bags packed by tomorrow morning."

"I'm glad she came around. I would've talked some sense into her if she hadn't." He leaned down and gently gave me a kiss on the lips.

"I wouldn't have been able to cope if they had kicked you out. Callie, you are my everything." I felt myself tearing up. "I love you, Brandon." He cut me off by slamming his lips onto mine. After what seemed like an eternity, we finally pulled apart, and he looked at me.

He looked at me with such an intensity, a passion in his eyes that I had never seen before. So much love could come from such a simple gesture. "Callie." He whispered, "I love you too, so much. I don't think I could ever stop loving you."

He reached into his pocket and I felt my breath hitch in my throat. When he pulled out the box I gasped. Seeing my expression, he laughed a bit.

"It's not what you think it is." I sighed in relief. "We are a little young for that, after all." He opened the box to show me the delicate ring inside. "But it works in a similar fashion. This is a promise ring, Callie."

"Brandon," I said, and was tearing up again. "I don't know what to say." "So don't say anything. Just promise me, you'll be my forever." I nodded, and he slipped the ring on.

"Now, finally, Callie, something has gone your way. Finally, you can be happy."

"With you? Always."

THE. END.

* * *

Even though this story is over, I'll still be updating my other ones, and maybe starting some new ones! (yay)

I start school tomorrow. Ew.


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